THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday announced that its motorcycle-riding traffic enforcers will start to escort emergency vehicles like ambulances that will be going through congested areas. “On-ground traffic enforcers can also assist ambulances through traffic on roads congested with vehicles or when motorists refuse to give way,” the MMDA said. The announcement comes after Agence France-Presse reported that the traffic congestion in the capital is costing lives, particularly of patients in critical condition. The report also cited that the “resulting gridlock costs the city $67 million daily in lost productivity, according to a 2017 Japanese government-funded study.” — Marc Wyxzel C. Dela Paz